This is my story
So much to tell you…
2023 and How I Ended Up Here
22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;2 his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new mevery morning; n great is your faithfulness. 24 o“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, k“therefore I will hope in him.” 25 The LORD is good to those who pwait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26 q It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.“
—Lamentations 3:22–26
My name is Estefanía, and this is my blog. I am a full-time Spanish teacher and entrepreneur. I’m originally from El Salvador and live in Virginia. I have always been very resourceful and have worked really hard for the things I have achieved. Life has taught me many lessons that serve me to grow my businesses while helping others. We don’t have to do it alone. We can achieve what we put our minds to. I am an example of resilience, lol.
Here is my story, which will give you an idea of who I am and encourage you. Difficulties and challenges are part of life. How we react to them and take them will tell our journey. As a Salvadoran, I fit the stereotype of resilience that comes with my country. (If you have ever met a Salvadoran, you know we are resilient and resourceful.)
I’ve had challenges, alright. But boy, have those taught me some great lessons.
It all started 35 years ago…
1988 – I was born in San Salvador, El Salvador. My mom had severe complications when I was born, so I have no siblings. Contrary to the common belief, not every only child is spoiled. I have a theory (not a great one, and maybe a silly generalization, don’t take it too seriously 🙈), only children either become very spoiled and dependent on their parents, or they go the other route and become very independent, self-sufficient individuals who won’t stop! Add a little type-A personality and having to grow up quickly, you get me.
1992 – My first memory was of my 4-year-old birthday 🎉 I was wearing a donald duck blue matching shirt and shorts. I was making some sort of necklace with beads and was having the time of my life! In El Salvador, it is not like you can let children walk alone in the streets. It was and has always been too dangerous, so I spent most of my time at home. Especially in the 90s, criminality was high after the civil war in the capital city.
So, I remember creating different environments in our house with my caretakers: Mela & Vero. The sky was the limit, one day, I was a princess, the other day, I was a patient, and they were the doctor; the other day, we would play tag, and so on… I have fond memories of my childhood and home (where I lived for 25 years). Now hold up. My family was far from wealthy, but a very much working “middle-class” type of family. You have to think about Central America and what I considered middle class back then; it most definitely doesn’t qualify as middle in the United States. However, I had two very hardworking parents. We were far from rich, but I never lacked anything.
In El Salvador, it is common for low-middle-class families to make sacrifices and financial choices that allow their children to attend private schools. Unfortunately, the education system in El Salvador is still developing. The best bet was and still is to try for private education. It sounds fancy, but in Central America, it really isn’t; in fact, it is pretty normal. Since most schools, even some universities are private; education is almost like a business.
I ended up going to a school near my house. This school taught German and English. I was a good student. I had no cares in life from Kindergarten through 2nd grade. I was academically tested, and the school psychologist told my mom that I was gifted. Imagine that…
1997 – Third grade was a hard year. Somehow I ended up in quarrels with two other little classmates because of the way we were playing. One misunderstanding led to another; some fights were had, some things were said… I only know that our parents got involved, but I ended up being the bad guy. My whole class strongly disliked me. Full-blown rejection y’all. It was like a “we don’t sit with her; she has cooties” type of situation. Kids are cruel! They would scream, “Disinfected! My things and I” when I was walking around. Ever since then, I was never the popular kid.
My faith has always been vital to me. More on that later. My family and I used to go to church early on. I remember praying to Jesus to come to play with me at recess because I was lonely! I have burnt it in my memory this day when I was walking around on the track field by myself at recess time; I felt Him walking with me and holding my hand. I had a little napkin and my imagination. As long as I had my napkin friend and Jesus, I was going to be fine. [This sounds oh so sad. I promise you; things would get better. After a while, I didn’t need any more napkin friends and made it out of third grade alive].
Big events that year, we got our first puppy. A cocker Spaniel named Spitz after a German poem that taught the family members and names in German. The dog’s name was Spitz.
1998 – A new opportunity presented itself. There was the official German School in San Salvador, which was very academic, rigorous, and high-quality education and also happened to be near my house. My mom, on a Mother’s Day school presentation, got told that it was the last day to apply and be accepted to go. Wouldn’t you know it, I was accepted and did only half of the 4th grade as I started 5th grade at the German School, which had the school year starting in August and ending in June. Most schools in El Salvador start classes in January.
I will never forget the smell of wood and German chalk in those classrooms. My childhood best friend’s grandma, who is Austrian, designed this school, and it’s like you were transported to a whole new world or era when you walked in. It was very unique. I was also happy because it was a clean slate for me and my ‘cooties’ reputation. Though my classmates with whom I had the issues also came along to the German School, it was certainly a whole new time.
2000 – My first trip to Germany. While most 6th graders have other priorities in their lives, a trip to Germany was in my future. (One of many trips). Some students with acceptable behavior and good grades got recruited to go to a student exchange in Luneburg in Niedersachsen. This was the first time I had left my parents by myself. It was just a month, but I remember how much I enjoyed every little cultural experience of that year.
After that, nothing was the same. I remember asking my mom to buy me the book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens” by Sean Covey. All of that rejection and low self-esteem that I had been battling since 1997 was about to be gone. I developed a new perspective and found a way to accept myself. What if, really, those kids didn’t hate me, but it was a reflection of their own struggles? Seventh grade started to look out more positively.
Meeting Jesus, July 2002 ✝️
Half of my family lives in Guatemala. My cousin was serving in this girl’s retreat/camp from her church. My spiritual journey, as I shared before, had started a while ago when I asked Jesus to be my friend in my younger years. However, I hadn’t understood many things, and I was a kid with lots of anxiety, fear, bitterness, selfishness, and sadness. July 05, 06, 07 of 2002 was the start of a completely new life.
By the way, I have always gone by ‘Steffy’ because Germans had a hard time saying Estefanía. I think of Steffy before this year, and I just want to give her a hug. I remember my mom had bought me a body spray that smelled like raspberries and cream. That smell takes me back to that campsite and the 3 days that changed my life. I can almost hear the birds chirping every morning and taste the oatmeal that we had for breakfast on those days. It’s 2023, and the songs that we sang on that retreat are my babies’ lullabies that I’ve sung to them since they were born.
Long story short, and like many others would tell you about their testimonies with God. This is what I know. I used to be fearful, I used to dislike myself so much, I used to feel worthless, and I had deep pain and resentment in my heart, even at an early age. But now I am different. The only thing between those things is Jesus. Growing up hurts; pain can be really intense, no matter how old you are. Even a child can believe lies about their identity, their worth, and whatever everyone else tells them.
I remember I disliked everything about me. I was only 12. I already had body image issues and self-esteem issues, and I felt really alone. On July 5th at night, I remember that in the retreat, they had you hammer a piece of paper on a wooden cross, which was a symbol of my sin. That night, Jesus came and gave me the warmest hug that I have ever felt. (pause …) I can’t ever tell this story without getting emotional. Waterworks!
A beautiful image came to mind that night, that was so vivid and so real, I will never forget it. I was on the floor at the retreat’s chapel. My eyes had cried all the tears I had. My heart was starting to feel less heavy. Right in front of the wooden cross came Jesus to meet me on the floor and hug me right where I was. I was loved. I am loved. I was made whole. At that moment and after that, my life forever changed. For the first time, I was reconciled with myself.
I saw myself through the eyes of God and understood that it was very much okay not to hate myself. That hug was the only hug that I ever needed and, up until this day, is the only hug that I need to move right along.
I came back to real life in El Salvador on Monday. I was free. My classmate’s opinions about me, my pants size, my looks, all of that became unimportant. Jesus loved me. I didn’t care about anything else. I was truly made whole again. I read my Bible in less than a year, and since 2002 I have never been the same as I was before. I received grace. Undeserved. I have been able to walk with God’s hand through the trials and challenges of my life.
I am not a theologian, and I am not about having arguments about others’ opinions about God’s existence or theories. Here is the thing. I’ve looked at the universe, I’ve looked at the world, and I’ve looked at my life; I have read my Bible. I’ve seen God in all of them, and I have changed. I can’t make that up. 😁 Since then, it just has been what it is.
Germany 2003 🇩🇪
I went on my second student exchange to Germany in 2003. I traveled to Lübeck in the north of Germany. I spent 4 months with the Kreusch family. We have officially been friends for 20 years now. This was the second time leaving my parents and my support system. I remember that it was challenging to be alone in a completely different culture and that I ate a lot of chocolate. In northern Germany, it can rain for days on end. However, life goes on. Towards December, It was very dark at 8:00 a.m. and very early in the afternoon. I rode my bike with my host siblings in the warmth, in the cold, in the rain, and in the snow a little bit. I had never experienced anything like this. Annette, my host sister, came to El Salvador the next year to learn Spanish. Since then, we have grown and remained friends. (We unexpectedly had our children in the same years – 2018, 2021)
2004 – We did the International Baccalaureate in German. This has been one of the most rewarding though stressful and crazy experiences of my life! My native language is Spanish. I learned German before I learned English, but all my classes were in German. This type of High School program was very rigorous and required lots of discipline and studying. Sometimes my studying was enough, sometimes it wasn’t!
2005 – Adenomyosis, Surgery, and Struggles.
If you know what endometriosis is, adenomyosis is like the problem cousin of endometriosis. Instead of issues outside of the uterus, the problems develop inside of the uterus, and the pain is unbearable. Can you imagine being a Sophomore and not being able to attend school, focus, and question your mere existence because of the pain in the uterus? Like someone was stabbing you? I had to get injections every other day just to be able to make it to school and survive the day. It happened so that I had an orange-sized tissue ball in my uterus that needed to be removed. I had to miss school for 2 months, and after the surgery was given hormone medication to regulate my body and prevent this from growing again.
This had lots of repercussions because I couldn’t write the exams for the International Baccalaureate and obtain the whole ‘IB diploma’ because I wouldn’t be able to catch up. So I only did the certificates for certain subjects. Having surgery was not fun, and it slowed me down significantly. I struggled to remain positive, and I would lie to you if I told you I wasn’t discouraged.
2006 – I graduated. I made it! (thus far) Through all of it.
2007 – 2013 – University and Jobs in El Salvador.
It is very common for youth in El Salvador to work full-time and study full-time. Private Universities are affordable yet have quality education. Going to the German school had prepared me discipline and mindset-wise to tackle this next stage of life. I started working as a language teacher while I began my studies in Business Administration. Studying full-time and working full-time is not for the faint of heart.
Language teaching was not paying enough, so I applied for the sales position of language programs in the same company and continued to study. I was so arrogant, y’all, and was up for a rude awakening. I failed my first class at University (accounting 101) because I didn’t go to class. I lost the scholarship at the University that I had earned due to my national test scores, and man did I need to readjust my strategy (and attitude, quite frankly). I quit my sales job and applied for a job at a call center. This company outsourced services to Expedia.com. I did pass all my classes this next semester, but I was miserable. I only lasted for 8 months on the phone and quit again. I thought, man, I need to have a job that pays a little better but allows me to continue to go to school. That was a quest y’all. There was no such thing consistently back in the day. That is the reason why it’s common for people to give up on school and continue to work because they can’t manage both. (That was at least 10 years ago, and you must remember that El Salvador is not like the US. I am talking about working 40 hours a week every month for $500/per month – and to that, deduct taxes.)
In the next 3 years, I was hired as a car salesperson and sold 3 cars in 2 months. However, this was not the job for me. Later on, I was hired at a local private school as a principal assistant. The pay was terrible, but at least it allowed me to continue studying. This school was a local business, and because I was young and still didn’t have my licensure (the equivalent of a bachelor’s), there just wasn’t too much growth in sight. A friend of mine told me her company was looking to hire English teachers to teach in companies, businesses, and corporations. So, I quit my assistant job and became a language teacher again. I loved this so much. I worked at this company for 2 years and a half. However, I still had to focus on keeping my main goal: my bachelor’s.
In 2009 I went back to my roots in Germany and started a season of partying and humble learning, y’all. Nothing good happens after midnight; someone said it for a reason, lol. It is so very important to mention even though this season presented so many challenges, this is the time I made the Longlife friendships that will be forever so important to me. During this time, I met my family of choice and continued the relationships with my childhood friends. They are the most amazing humans! Most of them stayed in El Salvador or now live in Germany, Canada, and Austria. Some of these girls are my sisterhood, angels on earth. Some other friends and coworkers became my big brothers and a support system. I always get emotional thinking about them. I miss them; every year. I pray for them, and I think about them constantly ❤️ These are the people of my heart.
I have always been ambitious and have looked for the next best opportunity, so I got promoted to trainer and teacher’s supervisor once my friend who had the position left for a better opportunity. However, this didn’t allow me to focus on my studies (again), so there I decided to look for other endeavors. I did and was hired as a billing representative at an outsourcing company.
By now, I had had my first big breakup and experiences with independence, frustration, and daily responsibilities. I keep saying it; I had to grow up quickly. I went through my parent’s separation (divorce), the death of my paternal grandma, and other things that toughened me yet humbled me (Oh so very much). It was a team of three at home: my mom, my grandma, and I. I helped pay the bills and helped pay my tuition for school. There was no time to be wasted.
2010 – Life changed again. I was sick of the job changes, relationships, and games. I had become rebellious in my faith and was walking in selfishness, self-sufficiency, and arrogance (again), and I was really lonely. October was the worst month of that year as I felt really alone. In December of this year, someone significant to my family passed away. I was faced with the question: what am I doing? Where am I going? Well, wouldn’t you know, I signed up for online dating because I was sick of playing games and was ready to have a serious relationship and think about my future. I met my husband online.
2011-2013 – I met my husband Brian on ChristianMingle.com, lol. We did the long-distance thing before it was cool, and the 90-day fiance show was a thing. I came to the US, He came to El Salvador, and we traveled back and forth for 2 years until we got married. We had to go through the grueling immigration process for my fiance’s visa. (This is a long post, too, our story was another miracle on how it happened, and I ended up here in Lynchburg, VA, with no previous connection whatsoever). Originally, and through it all, I had dreamt of going back to Germany and doing my Masters’s Degree there, maybe staying. I ended up in the US.
Regarding my visa, remember that I am Salvadoran. El Salvador has the second largest population of illegal immigrants in the country, so, yeah. We had to plan a wedding long distance and have our souls hang on a thread based on the results of USCIS. I could write a book solely on this. Spoiler alert, my visa was approved. In the waiting, before my visa was approved, I can tell you the story of how I worked for Google technical support (the call center heroes that help you with Google Apps), Zynga in German, and won singing competitions (I love to sing), among other things. I had a side gig as a makeup artist! I have really done a VARIETY of jobs 😀
It took longer to graduate college than I would have wanted, but in July 2013 I graduated with a bachelor’s in Business. We got married in September 2013 ♥️ with our big ceremony that November.
2013 – Moved to Lynchburg, VA
2014 – 2015 – As I told you at the beginning of this story, I am very resourceful. When I got my work permit, I became a Spanish Tutor for Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia; I got licensed to teach Zumba and worked as a childcare aide in one of the community’s daycares. At this moment, I can tell you that my mental health started to take a toll. Remember, I had lived 25 years in a different country, and my support system stayed there. I struggled with SEVERE depression.
I applied to work at the call center for this University and got hired after 4 months of waiting. Then, I started working in the call center just to be crushed and face the reality that I HATED being yelled at and being called names because of my accent on the phone. I ended up in the hospital because of my depression and how bad this cultural adjustment had taken place. Wow, life wasn’t the way it was supposed to be! At all. I also started my Master’s in Strategic Communication: Cognate in Academics, Teaching & Professional.
2016 – But God, in his infinite mercy, intervened again. I got baptized right before my hospital crisis. After several years of desert and a rocky attitude towards God, I returned to Him. I spent 2 years of rebellion, 2 years in denial that I had neglected and walked away from my relationship with God, and being lukewarm in my faith. In 2016 things changed, and I finally surrendered again. God opened the doors for me to work at the International Student Center at Liberty University. (The way this happened is in it itself a story of a miracle for another day).
This has been THE BEST professional experience that I’ve ever had. I met people from 74 countries from all over the world; I was able to heal my transition trauma because I connected with people from my culture and Spanish-speaking countries. More importantly, I found a family and a new support system. Until today, those people remain incredibly important and play as main characters in my story.
2017 – We went to Germany. Something I told my husband we had to do before we had kids. It was the highlight of that year. We moved, and we were on top of the world!
2018 – We became parents for the first time. (A whole other post for the miracle that this is)
Our son Lukas was born. My life was never the same. I graduated with my Master’s. This is emotional, y’all. I am from Central America and come from very humble beginnings! Liberty University had it as a benefit to study for free, so I did. I could graduate with zero debt, and if you had told me that in 2006 I would have laughed at you. I have a picture of me with a cap and gown and my belly that symbolizes the miracle of it all. (Another post for that too!) After my son was born, I started a Ph.D. program in Communication because I wanted to be a professor. Teaching had always been my dream, and doing this was the only viable way of doing so, at least in my head. I also must not forget to tell you that I had a severe case of post-partum depression. Lord Almighty! Things are not always roses and butterflies.
2018 – 2019 – I am a mom, a teacher. Here’s the Pandemic! Now what?
2019 – I transitioned to a new position at work, and our department started to take a different shape. Call centers are traumatic for me by now, and I would probably end up on the phone again. I contacted my son’s daycare supervisor (where I worked as an aide when I moved in 2013) and explained my predicament. I was really considering coming to work for them again. (Another post for the miracle of how I became a Spanish teacher). I must say that teaching is the only job that will get me out of bed enthusiastic in the morning. That was the only job I enjoyed from my early days in El Salvador.
2020 – COVID and teaching. My first year as a teacher was during Covid, a whirlwind. I have another collection of stories and miracles of that year and what happened, which I will probably share later, and how my family was able to spend 8 months with us during the pandemic. We spent the pandemic together; this included my mom, my grandma, and my dog.
[I certainly have much to say about starting your teaching Journey during a pandemic and online teaching! To put it this way, if my first year of teaching was during the COVID pandemic, AND having started in the middle of a school year after someone else had left, I could literally face anything going forward. For my fellow teachers, you know what I mean.]
2021 – My son Markus was born. (You guessed it, another miracle story for this one) I went back to teaching in person, Middle and High school. My family got Covid for Thanksgiving; I mean… So many things! I started to study to get my teaching license. When I was hired as a teacher and working on my Ph.D. in Communication (In my head, I was going to become a professor and teach online). Quickly, I was informed that I needed to earn a teaching license with 18 education credits that my communication Master’s degree didn’t fulfill. (So yeah… Back to the books. I was working, mommy-ing, and studying.)
2023 – Today
2022 – 2023 – This brings us here; as you know, we currently have an economic recession going on, and I very much want to supplement our income. After being in the classroom for almost 5 years, I can surely tell you how wrong I was about wanting to become a professor. God delivered me to my professional dream job. I absolutely, wholeheartedly, and passionately love being a Spanish High School teacher. I have finalized my teaching licensure, and I absolutely adore my students and community. However, there is no time or money to waste on a degree I won’t use. It is emotionally too expensive, plus I want to be there for my kids’ childhood. So I was intrigued by entrepreneurship. I am, after all, a business major.
If you had told me that to Steffy in 2018, I would have laughed at you again.
I came across Adam Enfroy’s BGE course and decided to start my blog in the fall of 2022. The school year 2022-2023 has been crazy, and of course, life challenges have caused this endeavor to start very slowly, but here I am. I hope to share my mom, teacher, entrepreneur, and multicultural experiences with you. I am a multitasker and have rebellious hope (like Nightbirde said). I am a stubborn optimist. I hope that the evidence of God in my life can encourage you. I mean, it’s 35 years later from the beginning of this story, and I can give all glory to God for how far I have made it.
I have also recently started an Etsy shop; here is our website: newsunrisesdesigns.com. I have wanted to have a business for the longest time, so we bought a laser. We love engraving, and we just recently started, so we are at the beginning of the Entrepreneurship journey, and you get to see it all.
I have a collection of stories, experiences, and current life struggles that I want to share with the world. I also am evidence of a massive collection of miracles in the life of a child of God. This I would also love to share with the world. Finally, I will say that faith, resilience, consistency, and love will win 100% of the time. If you made it this far, thank you for reading. Welcome to my blog, and enjoy the ride!